Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with canker and dieback of avocado (Persea americana) in Italy
Increased branch canker and dieback were observed in commercial avocado (Persea americana) orchards in Sicily, Italy. Surveys were conducted in 2021 and 2022 on 11 orchards to investigate etiology of the disease. Seventy-five plants from four orchards, showing branch canker and dieback, were sampled...
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Firenze University Press
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Phytopathologia Mediterranea |
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| Online Access: | https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/pm/article/view/14057 |
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| author | Alberto FIORENZA Giorgio GUSELLA Laura VECCHIO Dalia AIELLO Giancarlo POLIZZI |
| author_facet | Alberto FIORENZA Giorgio GUSELLA Laura VECCHIO Dalia AIELLO Giancarlo POLIZZI |
| author_sort | Alberto FIORENZA |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increased branch canker and dieback were observed in commercial avocado (Persea americana) orchards in Sicily, Italy. Surveys were conducted in 2021 and 2022 on 11 orchards to investigate etiology of the disease. Seventy-five plants from four orchards, showing branch canker and dieback, were sampled. Isolations from woody diseased tissues revealed the presence of fungi (Botryosphaeriaceae). Identification of the isolates was achieved by morphological and multi-loci phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood) of the ITS, tef1-α, and tub2 loci. Botryosphaeria dothidea, Lasiodiplodia citricola, Macrophomina phaseolina, Neofusicoccum cryptoaustrale, and Neofusicoccum luteum were identified. Representative isolates collected from the orchards, characterized based on the tub2 locus and identified as N. parvum, were excluded from this study, since this species has already been reported in our territory. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on potted, asymptomatic, 2-year-old avocado trees using mycelial plugs. These tests showed that all the Botryosphaeriaceae species characterized in this study were pathogenic to avocado. This is the first report of L. citricola, M. phaseolina and N. cryptoaustrale causing canker and dieback on avocado trees, and is the first record of these fungi causing branch disease on avocado in Italy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c0098598f24e4e5fb6064c2469917de2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0031-9465 1593-2095 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Firenze University Press |
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| series | Phytopathologia Mediterranea |
| spelling | doaj-art-c0098598f24e4e5fb6064c2469917de22025-08-20T03:05:25ZengFirenze University PressPhytopathologia Mediterranea0031-94651593-20952023-05-01621476310.36253/phyto-1405712928Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with canker and dieback of avocado (Persea americana) in ItalyAlberto FIORENZA0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5824-8936Giorgio GUSELLA1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0519-1200Laura VECCHIO2Dalia AIELLO3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6018-6850Giancarlo POLIZZI4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8630-2760Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, 95123, Via S. Sofia 100, CataniaDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, 95123, Via S. Sofia 100, CataniaDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, 95123, Via S. Sofia 100, CataniaDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, 95123, Via S. Sofia 100, CataniaDipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, 95123, Via S. Sofia 100, CataniaIncreased branch canker and dieback were observed in commercial avocado (Persea americana) orchards in Sicily, Italy. Surveys were conducted in 2021 and 2022 on 11 orchards to investigate etiology of the disease. Seventy-five plants from four orchards, showing branch canker and dieback, were sampled. Isolations from woody diseased tissues revealed the presence of fungi (Botryosphaeriaceae). Identification of the isolates was achieved by morphological and multi-loci phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood) of the ITS, tef1-α, and tub2 loci. Botryosphaeria dothidea, Lasiodiplodia citricola, Macrophomina phaseolina, Neofusicoccum cryptoaustrale, and Neofusicoccum luteum were identified. Representative isolates collected from the orchards, characterized based on the tub2 locus and identified as N. parvum, were excluded from this study, since this species has already been reported in our territory. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on potted, asymptomatic, 2-year-old avocado trees using mycelial plugs. These tests showed that all the Botryosphaeriaceae species characterized in this study were pathogenic to avocado. This is the first report of L. citricola, M. phaseolina and N. cryptoaustrale causing canker and dieback on avocado trees, and is the first record of these fungi causing branch disease on avocado in Italy.https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/pm/article/view/14057lasiodiplodiamacrophominaneofusicoccumphylogenyfungal diseases“cylindrocarpon” species |
| spellingShingle | Alberto FIORENZA Giorgio GUSELLA Laura VECCHIO Dalia AIELLO Giancarlo POLIZZI Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with canker and dieback of avocado (Persea americana) in Italy Phytopathologia Mediterranea lasiodiplodia macrophomina neofusicoccum phylogeny fungal diseases “cylindrocarpon” species |
| title | Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with canker and dieback of avocado (Persea americana) in Italy |
| title_full | Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with canker and dieback of avocado (Persea americana) in Italy |
| title_fullStr | Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with canker and dieback of avocado (Persea americana) in Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with canker and dieback of avocado (Persea americana) in Italy |
| title_short | Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with canker and dieback of avocado (Persea americana) in Italy |
| title_sort | diversity of botryosphaeriaceae species associated with canker and dieback of avocado persea americana in italy |
| topic | lasiodiplodia macrophomina neofusicoccum phylogeny fungal diseases “cylindrocarpon” species |
| url | https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/pm/article/view/14057 |
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